Fort Kent ~ Last week, the Fort Kent Fire and Rescue donated $200 to the Edgar J. (Guy) Paradis Cancer Fund. Francoise Paradis, Board President of the Cancer Fund was on hand to accept the donation. She said, “My brother would be so proud to see the community rally together to assist people with cancer.”
When he died, her brother, Guy Paradis, wanted those who were in similar circumstances to his to have the comfort of having family nearby. He willed start-up funding so that other patients receiving cancer treatment would have members of their families with them, especially when treatment was required great distances from home. Throughout the years, Guy’s “seed” money in conjunction with annual fundraising events such as the Tour de la Vallée, provide assistance to St. John Valley families.
The money donated by the Fort Kent Fire and Rescue came from winnings received from participation in a Community Volleyball Challenge sponsored this Spring by Northern Maine Medical Center. Fire and Rescue won five of the tournament games with the other participating teams: Irving Woodlands, Forest Hill, United Insurance, NMMC Maintenance and NMMC Radiology.
Since the inception of the fund, over $840,000 has been raised and 1,373 families have received much needed assistance. Just last year alone, fifty families received $80,000 of support from the Cancer Fund. Donations such as the one made by Fire and Rescue, and recently by Angel Snowfest and the Long Lake Fishing Derby, are crucial in meeting the needs of local residents particularly because last year, total donations were $15,000 less than the amount of money given to patients. To learn more on how you can support the Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund, go to www.paradiscancerfund.org.
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